Strut means for adjustable angle vises



April 24, 1951 Y A. WELZ 2,550,629

STRUT MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLE ANGLE VISES Filed Dec. 3, 1947 4W 2 m Jwm aze/j; wg;

Patented Apr. 24, 1 951 Albert Welz, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to North Brothers Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application December 3, 1947, Serial No. 789,451

This invention relates to improvementsin so- 8 Claims. (01. 81-41) called angle vises'wherein the relatively fixed V element of the jaw assembly is pivotally attached to a base member so as to permit adjustment of the jaw assembly to a plurality of positions about said pivot with respect to said base. Conventionally, the scope of adjustment embraces a pivotal angle of 90 degrees from a normal position of the jaw assembly parallel to' the base structure to a position substantially perpendicular to said base.

The present improvement has to do with the character of the strut means which functions to maintain the jaw assembly in the positions of an gular adjustment, and a principal object of the invention is to provide a strut device of simple and inexpensive form which may be readily applied to existing vises without material modification of the vise structure as a whole andwhich will offer no interference or obstruction to the work spaces between the jaws regardless of the angular position of the jaw assembly and regardless of the extent to which the relatively movable element of said assembl may be retracted from the relatively fixed element.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vise made in accordance with the invention, the manner in which the jaw assembly is adjusted and retained in the adjusted position being illustrated in broken lines; I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vise shown in Fig .1; and

Fig. 3 is a reduced side elevational view showing the jaw assembly in one extreme position of adjustment.

With reference to the drawings, the vise therein illustrated comprises a base i which is adapted to be secured to a table or other supporting structure and which therefore constitutes the fixed or base member of the vise structure. In the present instance this base includes a-member 2 which,-

The jaw assembly of the vise consists of a rel atively fixed member 4 which is pivotally secured at one end to themember 2, this pivotal connection being effected through the medium of a bolt 5 which is carried in upstanding ears 6, 6 on the member 2 and passes through a journal opening or openings in the member 4. The member 4 includes the relatively fixed jaw element 1 and a 2 r transverse body member 8 which forms a sliding support for the relatively adjustable jaw 9. At the opposite end of the body member 8 is an upstanding post I!) having a threaded opening for reception of the adjusting screw II for the movable jaw 9. The adjusting screw H carries at its outer end the conventional handle element l2. The jaw assemblydescribed above is essentially conventional in formand no more detailed de-' scription thereof is required for an understand ing of'the present invention. It is to be noted, however, that normally the body member 8 of the relatively fixed jaw member 4 will'be supported in a substantially horizontal position upon the memher 2 through the medium of the pivot bolt 5, at

one end, and an elevated seat l3 at the other end of the member 2. By reason of thepivotal at-' tachment the entire jaw assembly may be adjusted angularly between the normal horizontal position, in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 1, through an angle of approximately degrees to a substantially vertical position as shown'in' full lines in Fig. 3. An intermediate position of; the jaw assembly isshown' in broken lines in Fig. l. v

In accordance with the present invention a strut element I 4 is provided at each side of the member 2 pivotally attached to said member 2 by a screw IS. The struts lie flatly against the op'- posite side faces of the member 2, as best illus-' trated in Fig. 2, and are movable angularly about the pivot screws l 5 in their respective planes par alleling said side faces. 'As illustrated, each of the struts is provided with a longitudinal slot l6 which receives a screw l'l threaded into the proximate side of the jaw member 4. 'If the screws I5 and I! and the pivot bolt 5 are freed suffi ciently to permit movement of the jaw member 4 and the struts l4, the jaw assembly may be ad-. justed about the pivot bolt 5 to a desired position with respect to the member 2 and may then be secured in the adjusted position by tightening the screws l1 and, if desired, the screws, l5. When the jaw assembly is in the normal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the strut elements M, by reason of their shape, lie entirely be low the upper surface of the body member 8 of the jaw member 4, so that irrespective of the poe sition of the adjustable jaw 9 with respect to the.

' away from said upper surface of the body portionv 8, and this curvature is such that throughout the.

angular traverse ofJthe jaw assembly, the upper edge of the strut, which throughout the -maj'o'r portion of its length from the pivot I5 is curved to conform to the slot curvature. never projects beyond the plane of said upper surface in the area between the jaws and thereby offers no obstruction to the-jawspace.

At the outer free end of the strut, the slot I terminates in an angular offset [8, the function of which is illustrated in Fig, 3. As the jaw as- 3. A vise according to claim 1 wherein the angular adjustment of thejaw assembly extends between alternative positions wherein said extension lies substantially parallel and perpendicusembly approaches the vertical position of ad justment, the edges of the struts l4 approach the near sides of the lugs 6. The offsets I 8 of the slots permit the final small angular adjustment of the jaw assembly into the vertical position without interference between the struts and said: lugs. Preferably the near edges of the struts will abut the lugs when the terminal position of the assembly is reached, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to reinforce the" struts'and rigidiiy the: jaw assem-' bly whenin this) position.

'Th'e; curved. contour of' the" slot t6 and the terminal onset. ls-thereof', and: the corresponding contour of the strut; permit location of the pivot l5 relatively close to the-lugs 6; so that the-struts If4 may, with length adequate for the. full. 98 degree angular adjustment of the jaw assembly, be-contained substantially completely within the length: of the jaw member: 4. Thus, as shown Figs. 1 and 2, there is substantially no projection of'the free ends of the struts beyond. the end: of; the-said jaw member when the said member is in the normal: position;

It will be understood that the invention is susceptibleto: embodiment other than that shown. in the drawings and is not confined to vises: o the particular formv illustrated.

I claim? 1. A vice comprising a base member, a jaw assembly comprising a relatively fixed jaw pivotally secured to the base member and having a: lateral. extension normally seating on said member,. said assembly comprising also arelatively movable jaw slidably mounted on said extension. and? means for adjusting said movable jaw longitudinally of the extension with respect to therelativelyfixed:- jaw, the upper surface of saidextension defining the bottom; of the work-receiv ing spacebetween said jaws; astrut pivotallysecured-to the base member adjacent the-pivot of the relatively fixed jaw and extending awayfrom said pivot at. the side of and. approximately: parallel to said; extension and below aplanecontaining said upper surface of; the latter. when: theextension: isnormally seated'on the base. and" means for releasably. securing the strut tothe extension above'the plane of. the inter-seating surfaces of said jaw assembly and base to maintain the-assembly in the positions to whichit maybe adjusted angularly about. the jaw pivot, said strut having-anefiective length: permitting saidadjust-- ment of the relatively fixed. jaw: through an angle of. not materially less than 90 degrees and being curved over the major part ofitslength away from. the plane of the upper surface of said jaw extensionin. the area between the jaws so as-to;

lar to the base respectively, and wherein further an abutmentis. provided on the base for the strut when the jaw assembly is in the substantially perpendicular position.

4'. A vi'sei-according'fto claim 3 wherein the relatively fixed jaw' is pivotally supported between upstandingv lugs on the base member, and whereinv further. one of said lugs forms said abutment for the strut when the jaw assembly is in said substantially perpendicular position.

5. A vice according to claim 1 wherein the strut is provided with alongitudinal slot of curved contour for. reception of a screw threaded into the side of said extension, which screw when tightened anchors the strut to said extension.

6. A vise according to claim 5 wherein the slot terminates at the free endof the strut in an angular offset permitting a relatively great angular movement of the jaw assembly with respect to the accompanying movement of the strut.

7. A vise according to claim 5- wherein the upper edge of the strut is curved to conform approximately to the curvature of the slot.

8. A vise comprising a base member, a jaw assembly seating on and pivotally attached to saidbase for adjustment as a whole through an.- angle of at least approximately degrees from the plane-of the interseating surfaces-and in a plane normal to the plane of said surfaces, said assem bly comprising a pair of relativelymovable jawsand a-bed member having a surface defining the bottom of the work-receiving space between said jaws, and an adjustable strut. for holding the assembly in adjusted position on the base, said strut being pivotally connected to the base at a point adjoining the jaw assembly pivot, and

means for releasably securing the strut to the jaw assembly at a point on the bed member above REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 147,082 Vanneman Feb. 3, 1874 540,854 Choate June 11, 1895 690,351 Bowen Dec. 31, 1901 2,353,891 Gruntorad July 18, 1944 2,502,784 Fahlander Apr. 4, 1950 2,503,160 Lapointe Apr; 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,707 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1895 550,154.:

Great Britain Dec. 24, 1942 

